A collision between two Metrorail trains on the Red Line near Fort Totten station in NE Washington, D.C. during Monday evening rush hour left at least six people dead and seventy-six people hurt, the worst crash by far in the history of the Metro system.
The accident occurred just after 5 p.m. when one train stopped at the Fort Totten platform was hit by another train from behind, traveling the same direction. The front of the striking train was sheared apart as its lead car was lifted up and on the stopped train. The female train operator on board the striking train was killed.
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Evening rush hour travel quickly became a nightmare with the affected stretch of the Red Line closed except for connecting buses, the remainder of the line delayed for hours with delays of up to a half-hour dominoing across the other lines of the WMATA system.
In the meantime, the wounded were scattered under mass casualty guidelines to hospitals across the Washington, D.C. area. Family and friends seeking information on loved ones should call 311 from the District of Columbia, 202-737-4404 from Maryland and Virginia.
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The death toll increased late Tuesday as the originally announced toll of four announced by Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty during Monday evening was modified just a few hours later to six.
While the recovery operation continues, the National Transportation Safety Board will formally investigate the crash to determine its cause. Whatever the trigger for the crash, its occurrence and subsequent aftereffects underscore the true vulnerability of our transportation system and ultimately, ourselves.
______________________Labels: fort totten, metro, northeast d.c., transportation, washington d.c.
